April 11, 2026. Scottsdale Arts' annual fundraising event, The ARTrageous Gala, celebrated the 50th season of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts with performances by the Las Vegas-based Cirque Mechanics and the Valley's own contemporary classical quartet Lunar Calendar. Performers from Cirque Mechanics served wine from a giant tricycle and activated both indoor and outdoor spaces for their show, including a structure that moved across the audience while aerial performers twisted and twirled. Cirque Mechanics also produced an aerial dance performance on the Center's curved outer wall. Betty Hum received the Herberger Award for Philanthropy in the Arts. Alison Lewis, Kathy Wills, and Priscilla Nelson all received the Lifetime Award in Service to the Arts. And New York City-based concert pianist Jeffrey Siegel, who has been performing his Keyboard Conversations series at the Center for 47 years, received the Lifetime Legacy Award.

Photography by David Blakeman
DavidBlakeman.com